Viral Ear Infection 3 Months!!!!!

Ears, nose and throat
1

I am 34 and have had problems with my ears since my mid teens until mid twentees, basically glue ear which resulted in hearing loss to the extent I wear an aid in my right ear. 

Over the last three months my right ear has been uncomfortable to different degrees, never very painful, but a combination of discomfort, itching and a warm feeling. The first time I went to the Dr I was given oral anti biotics, this calmed it down a little and when I went back in mid November they would not give me any more antibiotics despite it still looking red and inflamed and I was told it will recover on its own. I have since been back three times with my ear feeling uncomfortable and with more hearing loss (I hope this is not permanent) to be told it is looking red in the ear but it is viral!!! How long can viral infections last it started in October!!! 

The discomfort varies, but over the last few days it is peaking aging with the ear canal and the skull around the ear feeling warm and sore! 

2

Hello Cheltjohn, If it is a Viral Infection, Antibiotics would not touch it, that would be for a Bacterial infection. How is you Doctor sure that it is Viral, was there a swab taken? Annoyingly, Ear Infections have a habit of hanging around because they have the perfect conditions sat right there just inside your nice warm Head, regardless, since October is dragging on. Can you remember having a cold or anything before you got the infection, or do you know if you have any perforations in the Ear Drum? In the mean time, try some Ibuprofen as is contains an anti inflammatory. Hope you start to feel better soon, AL.  

3

Hello,  It sounds to me as though you may still have an ear infection.  Sometimes one course

of antibiotics isn't enough and they need repeating.  I wasn't aware you can get a virus in our

ears.

Of course these days are tod not to prescribe antibiotics too often, unless really necessary.

But they're not the ones that are suffering.

Keep going back until you get some sort of acknowledgement there is in fact something wrong

with your ear....October seems a very long time for a virus to still be hanging around.

If the ear starts to ache, you must definitely get some more antibiotics.

Regards

Anne

4

Hi Anne , You get Viral or Bacterial infections, an Antibiotic will not kill a Virus as its strain is too small and reproduces inside a cell. A Viral infection can be passed on easily, like Mumps, some types of tonsillitis, Flu or Aids. Bacterial infections need a introduction to be passed on, like most STD's or Cellulitis. Whilst Bacteria can reproduce on it's own, a virus can't, it needs a host.

 

5

Yeah, I do realise what you've said.  I've just never heard

of a virus in our ears....usually bacterial.

There's a nasty virus going around in England at the moment,

no antibiotic would touch it.....even flu is a virus, until it turns

bacterial i.e. pneumonia.

Anne

6

Your right, just like last year when they got the strain of Flu Virus for the vaccination wrong, all those jabs and it was the wrong type. It's amazing how much trouble these little things can cause us. AL

7

Are you in England.  Not hit us yet, with only a few going down with it.....masks at the ready !!